KEY POINTS:
If you fancy a career as a government agent, travelling to exotic countries on secret missions and being immune to criminal prosecution, then a job with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is probably as close as you're going to get.
MFAT has diplomats stationed in 50 posts around the world working on everything from preparing state visits to shaping foreign policy.
Ambassador Michael Chilton QSO, has worked for MFAT since 1970 and says the sheer variety of work keeps things interesting.
"Job satisfaction is the biggest plus in the Foreign Ministry. It's a career that offers a huge variety of tasks and in a way; it's like a set of mini-careers."
Postings last for around three years and generally alternate between an overseas country and New Zealand.
"If you're in different countries, the work you're doing can be radically different. It's almost like another job."
Chilton currently runs the Auckland MFAT office and does a lot of work with trade policy issues. He says he enjoys the fast moving international developments and influencing New Zealand's relations with the wider world.
"I knew I was interested in international affairs generally but when I was at school I was looking at things like science or law or commerce even. Eventually I trained as a school teacher."
Chilton received a secondary school qualification from Christchurch Teachers College after earning an MA with honours in history from the University of Canterbury. He applied with MFAT and was offered a position as a policy officer.
"My interest ultimately was that I had a feeling I would like being involved in New Zealand's relations overseas. I'd be happy to teach about them but it would be better to be involved."
Chilton was immediately involved by ironing out preliminary details for a head of state meeting.
"You're exploring with your counterparts what areas look promising. Perhaps both parties go away and research and then we come back and we're adding and subtracting until we have a sensible agenda for the leaders to discuss."
It's a unique opportunity to shape what happens in the world whether it's strengthening air links, increasing peacekeeping operations or just keeping communications open.
"We are in an increasingly interdependent world and New Zealand's wellbeing ultimately depends on its relations with a wide variety of countries. I'm interested in being a part of that process."
Chilton has been stationed in Washington DC, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London and Hanoi and has travelled to briefings in several other countries.
"If you are a resident you are more part of the scene and you're more visible and more readily available. Often your job is to provide policy advice to government ministers. To do that you need to figure out what the options are and what the likely consequences of all those options are so the ministers can make an informed choice."
While you're overseas, you're also protected by diplomatic immunity. But if you think you'll be able to get away with anything, you're wrong. New Zealand diplomats even have to make sure they pay any parking tickets they receive.
"Diplomatic immunity is so you cannot be pressured by the host government. That's the origins of immunity and it goes back a long, long time. In practice the Ministry of Foreign affairs does not expect you to have to invoke immunity. It expects you to be able to behave in accordance with the norms of the place you're in."
But landing a position at MFAT is not easy. They are particularly looking for academic excellence. Before you can even walk in the door, you'll need a postgraduate degree (honours degree or higher) in any discipline or a conjoint degree that includes economics or law. You will also need excellent analytical skills, communication skills and people skills. You'll need a clean background check and need to be committed for the long haul.
"It's quite a difficult process. It's quite a lengthy process of recruitment and training."
The entry level positions start in the low $40,000's but can be higher if you have relevant work experience. But once you've been accepted and all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed, don't go packing your bags for some exotic location just yet.
"Normally you'd expect two, three, maybe even four years in Wellington getting the requisite experience before going on your posting."
When you are posted at an embassy, the rankings are generally third secretary, second secretary, first secretary, counsellor, minister and ambassador. When a Commonwealth country has a diplomatic post in another Commonwealth country, it's called a High Commission and the highest official is the high commissioner. Commonwealth nations do not have embassies in each others countries.
Both ambassadors and high commissioners start at $92,000 per year with some senior diplomats at MFAT making over $200,000.
Among Chilton's postings was in Hanoi as ambassador to Vietnam, but he had little knowledge of the local language.
"Normally you have what we call language designated positions. That means that one member of the staff at least - there may be others - will take their language skills to a reasonable level. Others will have a working knowledge."
If a diplomat is struggling with a language then consider what the family must be coping with. Chilton says it takes a very tolerant partner with a transferable career to cope with the constant demands of relocating.
"If you have dependants - a partner, and particularly children, you're asking them to pull up their roots and start up in a totally new environment every three years or so. It's very tough."
For some partners, it's just not worth it.
"It's quite a common case where their partner's career comes into play. After a couple of postings perhaps they, as a couple, decide they want to pull out."
Diplomats have some say over where they are stationed. You can't always choose your posting, but you may file an "expression of interest" that puts you on the short list. Additional training or education on your selected country will increase your prospects. But not all diplomats go to London, Paris and New York. Some wind up in Honiara, Tehran or Jakarta. You might find you'll need to tough it out in some places that aren't exactly five star.
Diplomats in certain cities receive hardship allowances based on a hardship rating. Whether you're being forced to observe someone else's religious customs in Saudi Arabia or choking on smog in Shanghai, you're paid a little extra to cope with the added difficulties.
But working for MFAT definitely has its advantages. It's probably one of the few organisations in the world that still offers the possibility of a job for life. It has a well developed career system with steps and benchmarks along the way.
"The Ministry found that it works best to have a career system. The experience you accumulate helps you with the next level up and that over a period of time your contacts, your understanding of systems and your understanding of places accumulates so that you can add value the more senior and the more experienced you become."
With 192 countries in the world, there is a huge global diplomatic community. Even though not all countries exchange diplomats, it is easy to find someone working for another country whose career is running parallel to your own.
"Understanding their career paths and ours has helped us form associates with our counterparts."
